ANTI-SHOUTING LAW

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 217, 1 June 1918, Page 3

ANTI-SHOUTING LAW

ALLEGED BREACHES. In the Magistrate's Court yesterday, be- . fore Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M., Scobio ' Thomas White Bowdon was charged with having paid for liquor to be consumed by another. Alexander Ferguson was charged with consuming liquor in the Grand Hotel for which another person had paid. Annie Martini, barmaid at the Grand Hotel, was charged with permitting the above alleged offence, and the licensee of the hotol (Ernest Page) was similarly charged. Mr. H. F. O'Leary appeared for Bowdeu and Ferguson, Mr. M. Myers for Miss Martini, and Mr. W. F. Rothenberg for Page. Inspector Marsack conducted the caso for the police. . Constable Hedgcman. said that, acting under instructions, he, in company with Constable Hall, visited tho Grand Hotel about 5.47 p.m. on May -i. They went into the main bar, where Miss Martini was in attendance. There was a big crowd in tho bar at the time. Hall called for a bottled beer ehimdy and witness did the same. Hall placed a shilling on the counter and Miss Martini picked it up and placed it in the cash register. Her attention was then taken up by another girl who camo in for change. Bowden, one of the defendants, wns standing near the bar, and witness was quite close to him. With Bowden were two other men—a civilian and a Boldier. Bowdon called for two portergaffs and a ehandy--gaff, and placed 2s. on the counter. Miss Martini served t.he drinks, rung up Is. firi. on the cash register, and gave Bowden 6d. change. Neithor of tho other two men paid for his drink. Hnll "then said: "What about our drinks?" Miss Martini apologised for the delay, served the drinks, and said to Hall she remembered that he had paid. Ferguson then cam* in and joined Bowden and his two friends. Bowden asked' Fergtison if he would have a drink. . He called for whisky and soda, and Bowden, paid 9d. for it. At this stage Sergeant Lopdell camo into the hotel, having been called by Constable Hall. The civilian and the 'soldier with Bowden got away before their names couH be taken. In cross-examination witnesS said tho customers were unable to get np to the counter as they were standing three and four deep. He was quite close to Bowdeu, and saw the latter hand over 2s. and receive 6d. in ohange. When charged Ferguson said Tie had paid for his own drink. There were quite a number of men placing money on the counter for drinks. Tho barmaids wero considerably rushed. He saw Bowden put down !)d. for Ferguson's drink and then push the money towards the barmaid. He did not see the licensee in the bar. Constable Hall and Sergeant Lopdell also gave evidence. S. T. W. Bowden said he was a commercial traveller and had been in Wellington only about a week when the incident occurred. He was a returned soldier. Ferguson was a complete stranger to him. "While witness was at the bar Ferguson oamqup, called for a whisky end soda, and placed 9d.. at the edge of the counter, as ho could not reach further, and witnessjmshed the money along to the barmaid. When Hall told-Sergeant Lopdell that he (the witness) had "shouted" for Ferguson witness stated>,that he did not "shout" for anyone. He did not know the civilian or the soldier that were near him. He paid for his own drink only, and did not "shout" for any of tho others.

Alexander Ferguson said he was working for the N.Z. Tyre Co. When he went into the. Grand Hotel he saw a soldier who had been in the same platoon as himself, and went up and epoae to him. He ordered a whisky and soda, which ho paid for himself. He placed the money on the edge of the counter, which was as far as he could reach from where he was standing, and Bowden pushed the money towards the barmaid. Bowden was a stranger to him. When he was told that Bowden had "shouted" for him he denied the statement. Annie Martini said that to allow "shouting" was againet the rules of the house. She did not permit breaches of the regulations in her bar. She did not know" the constables or Bowden. She knew Ferguson by sight, having previously seen him in the bar. She distinctly remembered giving Bowden Is. 6d. change for his 2s. after serving him with a drink. The man who called for the, whisky and soda put down 9d\, and it was pushed towards her by' Bowden. When Sergeant' Lopdell; accused her of

permitting "shouting" sho denied it, for she did not permit any such thing. * Tha Magistrate said ho would read through the evidence and givo his decision this morning.